Ravena
"The cold kingdom of Ravena is a mountainous land, home to a tall, joyful and resistant fair-skinned people. They are known not only for their knowledge on warfare, but also for their skills in cooking, construction and mead manufacturing. Though the Crowd Crisis took away some of their glory, they are still regarded as a strong and proud folk." '- Description of Ravena in ''Blood Trinity's backstory choice menu.' '''Society' Combat and warfare Because of the influence of it's roots, Ravenian society values the art of combat and warfare almost above everything else. One of the traditions they successfully preserved through the ages dictates that a Ravenian must start to learn the basics of fighting at the age of 7, both boys and girls. The children would usually be taught by their mothers. In the absence of a mother, they would be taught by their fathers or (preferably) another woman of the same city or village. The Ravenians believed that, because of the maternal instinct present in females, they would make better teachers, with the fierce desire to prepare their children as much as possible to keep them from harm. In the Gods Houses, priests would teach that when a mother teaches her child how to fight, *''Gertem'' creates a special bond between them both, granting extra protection for the son or daughter in battle. When the tribes were united under the first King's rule, King Polsljer, the Father decided to keep that practice alive, declaring: "The fight was bitter, but the land is ours and is the home to us all! Now, let us maintain our newborn country with iron fists and joyful hearts, for our children will be born just as strong as our arms, and will be taught as we were on the way of the sword, so no Ravenian will ever be helpless." (elaborate more on their style of combat, weapons, battlefield strategy, etc) Beauty standards and ornamentation Regarding beauty standards and body types, Ravenians always made the obvious association between muscles and strength and power, therefore associating it also to beauty. But all the kinds of burly figures are considered attractive to the Ravenian eye, since they associate the lack of body weight with the lack of money and lack of strength. This is also an inheritance from their origins as tribes of warriors for hire when thin people were considered too fragile to endure the harsh Ravenian winter, and even more to endure fighting and venturing, what contributed to spread the physically tough image that other peoples have of Ravenians. They were also one of the first people to develop a body modification method, even before they became officially a kingdom. They created and perfected tattooing along the years, using that form of art as a way to show one's value. When a tribe won a battle or succeeded at a particularly dangerous venture (through seas or land), the survivors would define a symbol for that event, and that symbol would be tattooed on each of them, on a spot of their choosing. That tattoo would be like a medal, shown to prove one's participationion the event. As they evolved, already as a country, tattoos remained a symbol of status, but not necessarily earned by deeds. They became the most appreciated form of physical ornamentation, and the wealthier the person was, the more tattoos they were able to afford. They could be given as a gift to someone in special occasions, like weddings and birthdays, or one could just get a new tattoo to look better for a feast or ball. However, social etiquette dictates that one should start getting tattooed from the middle of the body to the edges. Hands, neck and face should only be tattooed when the rest of the body was practically all covered. Over the centuries, as foreigners became more common in their territory, Ravenians started to adopt other forms of body modification, but they are far from being as common and are not regarded with the same importance as tattoos. Jewelry is also a form of ornamentation used by Ravenians, though precious gems are rarely present in accessories made by them. Gold, silver, and brass are the most used materials in the production of the ornaments, which consist mostly of necklaces and rings made in the torc style. They usually bear spiral designs and animal motifs. The more complex the design is, the more expensive is the piece of jewelry, and therefore is a form to display status. Politics Ravena's government is a monarchy, where the King or Queen is the supreme ruler. Each city in Ravena has it's own court, consisting in a Count, a Viscount, a Baron and a Duke, who report to the High Lord or High Lady, the ruler of a city. The High Lords report to the King or Queen, who (along with their Regent) is the High Lord or High Lady of the Royal City. The villages in Ravena are born when a farmer or any citizen (usually wealthy) has a piece of land and decides to built a community on it (after having permission from the King), becoming then it's Lord or Lady. They are the ones responsible for solving any local disputes and enforcing the King's laws on the village. The master of a village is also granted permission to train or hire warriors to form a guard force for their community. The''' '''Count/Countess Is a noble responsible for the judicial system and for the imprisonment of convicts in a city. They designate judges, oversee the jury choices for public trials, oversee executions and manage jails. When a Trial by Combat is required by a defendant or an accuser, the judge in charge of the case can only grant it with the approval of the Count or Countess. This title is usually inherited by the next generation of the family, but if the Count or Countess has no heirs, or if those give up the title for any reason, the city's High Lord or High Lady will summon their court to a council to name a new Count(ess). The Viscount/Viscountess Is a noble responsible for the Economy